San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-03
Romance Of a Ring.
A Tale with Moral for the Imperti-
nent.

had cleared his brain. He talked aloud:
The sight of Mary AlthOrpe has reviv-
ed every feeling of tenderness; mo-
ment more and he would have thrown
his ar.n3 around her, needless of the
con- But that hard and guilty
lOol led him. Why had fate will
ed t. q, she, of all persons, should
have tuund her way to this, of all placesp
Why had he ever come to this state,
which. in spite of its loneliness, was a
land Of broken hearts and fortunes; and
to tins City-a GOlgOtha of old hopes
and loverSP How came it that daily
here men encountered those from whom
they had escaped and least wished to
see? Was there no hiding place for
ones sorrow? He should have gone to
the heart of Africa to be alone. 1t was
the very irony of life that the first time
he entered society he should be driven
out again. He was growing c0ntented
with his lot; he had, at least, snbdued
the passion which he could not eXtin-
guish. ETtinguiSh? No; he could never
extinguish it. In spite of her TeprOach-
ing look he loved her. The trial had
come at last and broken him"
Again and again he uttered these
things until he wondered what his
words meant.
He rose and walked to and fro along
the deserted beach.-Suddenly he
stopped, as if smitten, recOiling-tO do
him justiCe-befOre the supreme temp
tatiOn of melancholy men. From that
moment, however, as when thick fog
gathers over the land, despair began to
settle upon him. OF what use was his
life to himself or any other beingp This
is always the last question of men who
have substituted effect for duty. lie
appealed to the sea, which seemed to
answer that all troubles may be buried
in its bosom. Such thoughts as now
filled his mind were new to him. Every
thing around began to appear strange.
The moon was like the cold face of
judge; the murmuring sea sounded only
like dirge, He was astonished at the
calmness that came over him. Regret
and perturbation were gone, The tu-
ture gave him no fear,
He took from his pocket blank piece
of paper and wrote:
l, John Dean, being of sound and dispos.
ing mind hereby give and bequeath to Mary
AlthOrpe, formerly of New York and now
of San Francisco, all my property, real, per
sonal or mixed, and all my credits and
chooses in action. To this add my love and
forgiveness. l constitute and appoint Paul
MoxOn, of San Francisco, my sole executor,
JOHN DEAN.
"This is poor proceeding for law
yer like me-" said he, yet it will show
to Mary Althorpe that John Deans
heart was loyal to her"
Chen he folded the paper and put 1T
in leatheTn envelope.
The tide was low, he hurried, hoping
to pass the narrow path which leads to
Seal Rock; but on coming near he found
that the flood had set in and strong
wind from the north was turning the
narrow channel into seeming mael-
strOm. Then he thought of the Cliff
Rock. In the cafe, however, and on the
long balcony there We're MUSIC and
dancing. He turned again, strolling
along the wet sands over which the sea
was fast encroaching. On coming back
to the cliff he noticed that the noise had
ceased, and the vehicles We're starting
away with their merry freights. He
walked up the cut leading to the house,
which was still brilliantly lighted.
There seemed to be no guests, however,
and the walters were mapping at the
tables, their heads resting on their arms.
He stepped lightly through the rooms
and sat down in shaded corner of the